Tag Archives: George Maragos

In a minor upset, Wendy Long handily won the three-way race in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate.

Long, a New York City attorney, defeated Congressmember Bob Turner and Nassau County comptroller George Maragos. She secured a majority of the vote with 51 percent, according to reports.

Turner finished with 36 percent, while Maragos received 13.5 percent.

Long’s support was mostly out of the five boroughs as Turner received 66 percent of the votes in the city, according to the Board of Election’s unofficial results.

“On the 6th of November, we will change the face of New York politics,” Long said.

The Republican, who has never held elected office, will now face Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in the general election on that date.

“This landslide victory tells me that the people of New York saw that I would create the sharpest contrast with Kirsten Gillibrand,” said Long.

Fewer than 140,000 voters cast their ballots statewide in an election notable for its low turnout. There are more than 2.5 million registered Republicans in New York.

Turner, who currently represents parts of Queens in the 9th Congressional District, congratulated Long on the victory and promised to work with the candidate.

“I pledge to work with Ms. Long to unite all Republicans and Conservatives in the effort to defeat Kirsten Gillibrand in November,” he said.

Gillibrand won the Senate seat in 2010, after being appointed to it a year earlier when Hillary Clinton left to become Secretary of State.

The general election will pit candidates on opposite sides of the spectrum.

Gillibrand was named by the National Journal as the nation’s most liberal senator, a fact trumpeted by the Long campaign. Long is a staunch conservative that opposes same-sex marriage and raising the debt ceiling.

Long faces an uphill battle against Gillibrand. The senator has nearly $10 million in campaign cash against Long’s $193,000. Recent polls have Gillibrand with a 30 point advantage over her Republican challenger.

Current Position: Long is a member of Mitt Romney’s Justice Advisory Committee, teaches Roman Catholic catechism in New York City for the Narnia program, and is a member of the New York City Parks Mounted Auxiliary Unit.

Personal Info: Long lives in Manhattan with her husband, Arthur, their two children, Arthur and Mado.

Issues: From the candidate’s website:

• Outrageous levels of debt

• Corporate cronyism

• Lack of an American energy policy

Platforms: “Men and women of good faith in every party want to see a new way of doing business in Washington. That is what I intend to offer in this campaign, and that is what I will deliver as the next United States Senator from the State of New York. I want to work for the people of New York to make it shine brightly again as a jewel in our national crown. Already, many good people all across this great state have put their trust in me. I intend to make myself worthy of that trust,” Long said on her website.

Name: George Maragos

Party: Republican

Current Position: Maragos is the elected Nassau County Comptroller. He was elected in 2009.

Personal Info: Maragos, a graduate of McGill University, has had over 35 years of senior management experience and accomplishments with leading organizations in banking, consulting and information systems, including founding and guiding a Wall Street financial technology services company. He is married to his wife, Angela, for 37 years. Together, they have two sons, a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.

Issues: According to Maragos, government’s top priority should be to restore economic growth and enable the creation of good paying private sector jobs. He also believes Americans must make a national commitment to achieve energy dependence in 10 years and become a global leader in renewable energy technology.

Platforms: Maragos is running to reduce government deficit and entitlements, clear foreign policy, strengthen national security and improve education by abolishing the federal Department of Education and giving authority back to the states.

Name: Robert “Bob” Turner

Party: Republican

Current Position: Representative for the 9th Congressional District

Personal info: Turner has spent nearly his entire life within the 9th Congressional District. He grew up in Woodside – the oldest of three boys — and raised his own family in Richmond Hill. Turner has a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University and served in the US Army. He ran against incumbent Congressmember Anthony Weiner in 2010 and lost. Turner beat State Assemblymember David Weprin in a 2011 Special Election after Weiner resigned – becoming the first Republican to hold the seat since 1922. Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani endorsed Turner’s bid for the Senate seat. Before running for Congress, he spent more than 40 years in the television industry.